This invention relates to a fan assembly for an umbrella and also to a fan assembly which can be coupled to a pole even without an umbrella.
There has long been a need for a self-contained, easy to assemble, low cost, universal, and safe umbrella fan. The design constraints associated with such an umbrella fan include the fact that the umbrella canopy is often lowered when not in use by the action of a slide which surrounds the umbrella pole operated by a crank mechanism which also surround the umbrella pole. Thus, any useful after-market umbrella fan assembly must be able to be easily coupled by the consumer to the umbrella pole between the crank mechanism and the umbrella canopy slide.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,188 discloses a fan assembly permanently disposed on the umbrella pole above the slide. Accordingly, this assembly is not designed as an after-market fan which can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of umbrellas previously purchased by consumers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,811 discloses a fan assembly supported on an umbrella pole below the umbrella slide but requires, in each embodiment, bearings supporting the integral rotatable drive ring to which the fan blades are attached. In one embodiment, the large drive gear of the rotatable drive ring and the drive ring itself have a slot therethrough for receiving the umbrella shaft. To compensate for this slot, either two opposing drive pinions are required (one on either side of the slot) or, instead, a special gear key is required to fill the gap in the drive gear, and, in that embodiment, only one drive pinion is required.
The ""811 patent also purports to show an embodiment where the drive gear and the drive ring are split and pivot about a hinge. Still, even in this embodiment, the bearings supporting the rotatable drive ring are still required as part of the fan assembly housing. Since, in the design of the ""811 patent the drive ring is an integral part of the fan motor housing, the resulting structure is necessarily complex and difficult to manufacture at a low cost. Finally, the ""188 patent notes that the fan assembly of the ""811 patent is unstable.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a self-contained after-market fan assembly for umbrellas.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which is easy to assemble.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which can be manufactured and sold at a low cost.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which is universal in design and can accommodate different umbrella pole diameters and a variety of umbrella configurations.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which is safe and harmless even if a child""s hand purposefully or inadvertently comes into contact with one of the fan blades.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which can be easily slid down the umbrella pole when the umbrella canopy is folded down and not in use and then slid back up the umbrella pole and into position when the umbrella canopy is deployed.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which has easily removable fan blades.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which is battery operated.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which comes complete with rechargeable batteries and a recharger for recharging the rechargeable batteries.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly which does not require multiple drive pinions or a special gear key.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a fan assembly in which the drive ring is not an integral part of the fan motor housing and thus requires no rotatable bearings.
The invention results from the realization that a self contained, universal, low cost, and safe umbrella fan assembly which is easy to assemble and which also can be quickly moved down the umbrella pole when the umbrella canopy is folded down is effected by two separate assemblies: a split collar clampable around the umbrella pole and having integrated support and motor housings, and, a separate fan blade drive ring with an integral drive gear. This design is in contrast with the assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,811 in which the drive ring is an integral part of the motor housing and thus requires expensive bearings and a complex drive train to accommodate the slot in the motor housing.
This invention features an umbrella pole fan comprising a first integrated sub-assembly clampable about the pole. The first integrated sub-assembly including a collar surrounding the pole, a support housing on a lower end of the collar defining a drive ring support plate, and a motor housing enclosing a motor therein on an upper end of the collar spaced from the drive ring support plate. Also featured is a second integrated sub-assembly rotatably disposable about the umbrella pole. The second integrated sub-assembly includes a drive ring rotatably disposed about the collar and having a lower surface which is supported by the drive ring support plate of the support housing. The second integrated sub-assembly also features a drive ring drive mechanism, and a plurality of fan blades coupled to the drive ring.
In the preferred embodiment, the drive ring support plate includes a plurality of spaced non-rotatable bearing members extending upwards therefrom on which the lower surface of the drive ring rotates. The motor housing typically includes a motor drive mechanism depending downward therefrom which cooperates with the drive ring drive mechanism to rotate the drive ring. In one embodiment, the motor drive mechanism is a first gear and the drive ring drive mechanism is a second gear which is engaged by the first gear. The drive train sub-assembly of this embodiment typically includes a motor pulley, an intermediate pulley, a pulley attached to the first gear, a first belt about the motor pulley and the intermediate pulley, and a second belt about the intermediate pulley and the pulley of the first gear.
Preferably, the motor housing includes a DC motor, one or more rechargeable DC batteries for powering the DC motor, and a recharging device for the DC batteries. Typically, the support housing includes a switch electrically coupled to the motor in the motor housing. Also, the upper end of the collar preferably includes a clamp mechanism such as a quick release clamp which secures the first integrated sub-assembly on the pole. In this way, the position of the fan assembly on an umbrella pole is easily and quickly adjusted when the umbrella canopy is lowered for storage and raised for use. In one example, the second integrated sub-assembly includes a spacer element disposed between the drive ring drive mechanism and the upper surface of the drive ring.
Preferably, the drive ring includes a plurality of fan blade blocks located thereon each having a channel for receiving a fan blade therein. The fan blades then have a distal end with at least one spring mechanism for retaining the distal end of the fan blades in the channels of the blade blocks.
In the preferred embodiment, the first integrated sub-assembly is configured as in a plurality of sections coupled together about the pole and the second integrated sub-assembly is also configured in a plurality of sections coupled together about the first integrated sub-assembly.
The support housing may further include at least one lamp. Preferably, the drive train sub-assembly coupling the motor to the drive ring drive mechanism is configured to slip if there is interference with a fan blade to stop the drive ring from rotating. As such, the drive train sub-assembly includes at least one belt which slips if there is interference with a fan blade.
This invention also features a fan blade assembly for a pole, the fan blade assembly comprising a support housing coupled to but spaced from a motor housing having a motor therein. Each housing is configured in sections which can be clamped about a pole. A separate drive ring with fan blades extending therefrom is also configured in sections which can be disposed about the pole. The drive ring is disposed between the motor housing and the support housing and supported for rotation on the support housing. Typically, a split collar is provided and the support housing is attached to a lower end of the split collar and the motor housing is attached to an upper end of the split collar. The separate drive ring is rotatably disposed about the split collar between the support housing and the motor housing. In one example, the support housing includes an upper drive ring support plate and there is a drive ring drive mechanism integrated with the drive ring. The drive ring support plate may include a plurality of spaced non-rotatable bearing members extending upwards therefrom on which a lower surface of the drive ring rotates.
The motor housing preferably includes a motor drive mechanism depending downward therefrom which cooperates with a drive ring drive mechanism integral with the drive ring to rotate the drive ring.